Somebody to Watch Over Me
by 1thousandminus7
Summary: Merry Christmas Laurenathalasa! This is a request one-shot spinoff of my main fanfic, Reborn. Reading this without context may be confusing, so I suggest new readers go there first :) Alec gets injured in a battle, but that just gives Magnus an excuse to pamper him. Complete fluff-fest. Rated for the battle at the start.


**A/N: Merry Christmas laurenathalasa! I hope this is fluff enough for you!**

Alec POV

Normally I do fine in fights. I'm highly trained, physically capable and, since about half a year ago, I've had access to magic, too. The only downside is the fact that I rarely, if ever, go for the killing blow. My talents lie in defence and distraction, and when I get distracted mid battle, this can have devastating consequences. That's already been proven more than once. I was lucky this time, since I only managed to sustain a blow to the leg which was enough to incapacitate me, but not bad enough to be anything to worry about.

It happened like this. Magnus and I couldn't hide forever; at some point we'd have to leave our safe haven. We'd never get anything fixed if we didn't. The issue was that about half an hour into our excursion, we became aware that we were being followed. Our stalkers followed in the shadows until Magnus finally got sick of it and ducked out of the bustling street into a quiet road, putting up a glamour behind us so no mundanes would try to get involved.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." He yelled, looking around. I summoned my bow and quiver, nocking an arrow. Then the band of Shadowhunters appeared from rooftops and around corners. There were five in total, I counted. I didn't recognise them.

"Can we help you?" Magnus asked mock-courteously. He knew why they were tailing us. Even if they didn't know about the sentence passed on Magnus, the sensor one of them was holding up was clearly reacting to my presence. I was reluctant to aim; I wanted to at least try to prove to them that I wasn't a threat.

They didn't respond, instead exchanging a glance with one another before drawing their weapons. I immediately stood closer to Magnus, pulling the bowstring taut and ready to loose should any of them make a move.

"Defensive, Magnus." I hissed. "Don't kill 'll only make it worse if you do." He nodded.

"We gotta keep them separated," I heard one of the Shadowhunters, a tall, muscled lady wielding an axe, say to the others. They split up, surrounding us. I attempted to loose an arrow at one of them, but he batted it away with a seraph blade. Then they began to advance on us. One swung a sword at me, forcing me to duck. It almost hit Magnus behind me, but he was able to deflect it with a quick spell. The one with the axe came at me, and I fired at her, aiming for the shoulder. She dodged, and it grazed the side of her neck. She didn't slow down. I tried again, landing a hit to the back of her hand. Her grip on the heavy weapon she was carrying failed just as she reached us, and it clattered to the ground. For a split second I had a clear shot, and I could have killed her, but I didn't. I wasn't about to prove what they thought of me was true. I'm not a murderer.

But if she registered my hesitation, she didn't show it. She pulled a seraph blade from her belt, muttered a name I couldn't decipher, and swung at me. In a moment of adrenaline, I dropped my bow, instead summoning my swords to counter her. Even with my enhanced strength, she hit me like a truck, forcing me back a few steps to keep my balance. This was bad, as I now had my back exposed. I chanced a glance in Magnus's direction. He was busy with two of them, not getting a chance to use a more powerful spell as it was taking all his attention just to fend off their blows. That must mean… I pushed back as hard as I could, throwing her off balance just long enough to spin and engage the remaining two coming up behind me. Things didn't look good. We were outnumbered, and without a second of breathing room, and avoiding any fatal blows, there wasn't much we could do but just attempt to hold them off. The one I had injured earlier seemed to have dropped back, but the other two didn't slow down. I was holding back one with each hand, and this was immensely difficult. My arms burned from the effort, and I knew they would be able to overcome me before too long. I decided to employ different tactics. Ducking, I rolled to one side as their blades clashed together above me. Then, moving as fast as I could, I swung the blunt edge of my blade at the back of one of their heads with enough force to knock him out cold. The other didn't miss a beat, registering my new position and swinging accordingly. I pressed forward, my additional speed and strength giving me the edge in this battle. There was a flash from Magnus's direction, and I saw one of the Shadowhunters fall, frozen mid-swing. Just as I thought we might be able to win, I felt a sudden pain shoot through the side of my leg. I cried out, collapsing. It burned, as though my flesh was on fire. Rolling aside, I dodged the swing of the axe as it came towards me, and tried to get up. My leg gave out underneath me and all I could do was look up as the wielder of the heavy weapon bore down on me. I threw my hand up in front of my face out of instinct, closing my eyes for the inevitable pain. When it didn't come, I opened my eyes again. Sitting up and looking around me, I saw both of my attackers slumped against the walls on either side of the street. They weren't moving. I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. Magnus smiled down at me.

"Nice move. You'll have to teach me how to use that one."

"Even I don't know how I did it." I said truthfully. "If I did I'd have used it a lot sooner. Where's the last one?"

He gestured behind him. I saw his second attacker lying beside his friend, equally as still with a shocked expression on his face.

"How long are they going to stay like that?" I asked.

"Long enough for us to get out of here. As for the other three, they'll be out cold for a good long while."

"Good."

He held out a hand to help me up, which I took. But the second I put my weight on my injured leg, it flared with pain and I fell again.

"Alec?" Magnus asked, a note of panic in his voice.

"My leg." I said through gritted teeth. He dropped to one knee beside me, and examined the wound.

"Hold on." He put his hand over it, and I felt the warm energy of magic on my skin. The gash itched, but didn't heal. He frowned. "It's not working."

I glanced over to where the woman with the axe had fallen.

"No, it won't." I sighed. "That weapon will have had angelic runes carved into it. Most likely its blade is coated with electrum. Demons can't heal themselves quickly from wounds inflicted by seraphic weapons. I'll have to wait for it to heal naturally."

"Oh." He bit his lip, thinking. Then he summoned a roll of bandages from somewhere and began wrapping them around the wound. "We can clean it and dress it properly once we're back in our room." He stated, tying it tight enough to put pressure on it and, hopefully, stop the bleeding. "Come on. Let's get you home." He helped me up again, this time lending me his shoulder. I put my arm around him gratefully, leaning on him to take weight off my injured leg.

Fortunately, we managed to get back to our hideout without any further incident. Magnus led me to the bed, making me lie down in it.

"Stay there. I'll take care of it."

"Okay." I trusted he knew what he was doing. He waved his hand, and my jeans disappeared, taking me by surprise. "Hey!"

"What? I need to be able to see what I'm doing!"

"You could at least give me some warning." I pouted. He just smirked at me, and then turned his attention to the black-stained bandages wrapped around my thigh. Black blood had leaked through and was smudged over my skin. He winced.

"Hang on."

He disappeared for a moment, then returned with a bowl of water and a towel. "Comfortable?" I nodded, and he sat down beside me. As he unwrapped the bandages, I saw the ugly, gaping wound underneath, all raw reddish flesh and purplish-black blood. I gritted my teeth as the air stung my now exposed wound.

"Ouch." Magnus sympathised. "That's gonna take some time to heal, isn't it?" He gently soaked the towel in the water and began to wipe the ichor from my skin, being oh so careful. The water was warm, and though the pressure hurt, it was a pleasant sensation. His hand on the back of my thigh, holding me steady, was comforting, his motions tender and full of care. I managed a smile despite the dull, throbbing ache in my leg. "At least the bleeding seems to be slowing down." He observed, wiping the cloth as close to the wound as he dared. "Here. Even if I can't heal it properly, I'm sure I can help a little." Satisfied with the cleaning, he put the now stained towel aside and held his hand over the cut, murmuring an incantation. His eyes sparked, as did his fingers, and I felt a warm sensation spread through me. Immediately, the pain dulled, and the flow of ichor all but stopped.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, love." He redressed the wound, applying a pad over it to soak up any more blood, and then wrapping bandages around that, making sure they weren't too tight. It felt much better after that. "Get plenty of rest, yeah?" He kissed me softly.

"As long as you keep me company," I murmured against his lips, and he giggled.

"Of course."

After that, he went into full nurse mode. He wouldn't let me out of bed, insisting I don't put any weight on my injured leg, and made a point of getting me anything I even hinted at wanting. I let him, because it seemed to make him happy. Later that evening, I was in the bedroom reading a book Magnus had retrieved for me, when I heard some yelled expletives coming from the kitchen. I looked up, shocked, and then called out Magnus's name.

"You okay in there?"

"Yeah, yeah, no problems!" Came the reply, though it sounded a bit strained. I considered getting up and going to investigate, but as soon as I tried to get to my feet, my leg protested violently and I collapsed back onto the mattress. I growled at the wound, mentally cursing my clumsiness, but forced myself back into bed. I'd just have to trust that my boyfriend was telling the truth.

No more disturbances came, though I did hear a few strange noises coming from under the door. I just tried to ignore it and relax, though I was rapidly getting bored. About a half hour later, Magnus burst into the room holding a tray with two bowls on it, looking immensely proud of himself. I noticed the plaster wrapped around his finger, and laughed.

"I made dinner!" He said it like it was the greatest achievement he'd ever managed.

"Oh yeah? And you're still in one piece?" I teased. He gave me a not-amused look, but then the smile returned.

"Yep! I made chicken ramen. I thought it's a bit like chicken soup, but more interesting."

"You do realise I'm injured, not sick, right?"

He shrugged. "I don't care. You need to get better, and according to mundanes, chicken soup is what you eat when you need to get better."

"Come on then. Let's see if it's any good." He sat on the side of the bed, taking one of the bowls and handing the other, still on its tray, to me. I had to admit, it smelled amazing, and my stomach growled in response. Magnus had provided chopsticks, which I picked up with slight apprehension. I had never been very good at using these. I looked over to see what Magnus was doing, thinking I could probably copy him without too much trouble. He noticed me looking and smirked, holding his up for me to copy. I felt myself blush a little, and balanced the tray across my knees as I adjusted my grip on the two little sticks. When I was satisfied I could move them without dropping one or the other, I tried them out, trying to pick up a ribbon of finely-sliced carrot. I managed to get it about two centimetres into the air before I dropped it. I huffed. I could do this. I tried again. And again. And again. The damn sticks just kept sliding past each other, so I couldn't get a good grip on anything. I heard Magnus laughing softly, and I gave him the evils as he expertly dug into his own food. Swallowing a mouthful of noodles, he moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed beside me. Using his own chopsticks, he picked up a piece of chicken from my bowl and held it out for me. I glared at him for a second more, and then took it. It did taste good. He smiled at me fondly.

"You're gonna make me feed you, huh?"

"Or you could give me some cutlery I can actually use." I said around a mouthful of chicken.

"Nope. No can do, I'm afraid." He took another mouthful, and then twirled noodles around the sticks for me. I rolled my eyes, but obliged, wiping the flavoured broth off my chin as it ran over my lip. He laughed again, and I couldn't help but join in. "Here." He put his bowl down carefully and showed me how to use the sticks properly, moving my fingers into place. "Try that."

I did, and found it worked much better. "Thanks. This is actually really good, Magnus."

"Actually? Are you implying you didn't have faith in my cooking skills?" He feigned offence, putting his hand to his chest in an affronted gesture. I made a face at him.

"You know what I mean."

When it got to the stage where the contents of my bowl were more liquid than solid, and I was doing my best to fish as much out of the bottom of the bowl as possible, Magnus nudged me. I looked up, and he lifted the bowl to his lips, drinking the soup at the bottom. "Best part." He said, smacking his lips. I copied him, and found that I agreed. All of the flavours of the different parts of the dish, as well as herbs and spices, all collected there and it tasted delicious. He took my now empty bowl from me, stacking it with his and putting the tray aside.

"I'll wash that up in a few minutes." He said, moving up to sit beside me. "You okay? It doesn't hurt too much does it?" I shook my head.

"No, it's alright. Not the worst I've been through."

"No doubt." He replied, grimacing. "Still, at least you've got me to care for you."

"Yeah…" I smiled softly and kissed him on the lips. He responded, one hand coming up to lazily play with the hair at my temple, where, I noted, it was growing out a little, and probably could do with a cut. Still, I enjoyed the sensation as he twirled it between his fingers absent-mindedly. When he broke away, I confessed, "I'm not gonna be able to stay in bed this whole time though. You have to let me up sometime or I'll die of boredom."

"Fine. But you're not going anywhere without my help, or you'll make it worse." He cast a worried glance at my bandaged leg. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Your concern is touching, but I'm not completely helpless when I'm hurt." I stated, pointedly ignoring the incident of me trying and failing to stand up earlier.

"Shh. Fussing over you makes me happy." He moved so he could rest his head on my chest, his hair ticking my neck. I put my arm around him, kissing the top of his head.

"I'd noticed." I commented amusedly.

That night, after Magnus had let me lean on his shoulder so I could brush my teeth and we had settled into bed, I tried to get comfortable, eventually needing to lie on my side, my back to him. He took it as an invitation to spoon me, his slender arm around my waist, and his body pressed against mine. I could feel his breath on my neck. It was warm and comforting, and though I knew Magnus would be complaining about pins and needles the next morning, I laced my fingers with his as they lay over me, enjoying the security I felt having him there beside me.

Over the next few days, Magnus pampered me. I got breakfast in bed, any TV programme I wanted and cups of freshly-brewed coffee whenever I asked. He never left my side, except to make food and bathroom breaks. Needless to say, neither of us ever left the apartment. He checked my wound every day, making sure it was clean and freshly bandaged. It was healing nicely, he observed. I was grateful. I missed not being able to walk on my own. Magnus had even tried carrying me from place to place, but he quickly found that I was heavier than he thought. He did, however, successfully manage to talk me into sharing a bubble bath with him. The warm water stung at first, but laying back on Magnus's chest, his arms around me, I was able to relax, and I did admit that it did make me feel better after staying in bed most of the day. Magnus took plenty of care as he scrubbed me clean, avoiding my leg and letting me do that myself, since I knew better what hurt and what didn't. He massaged my shoulders, his long fingers working magic as he rubbed away all the tension in my body, leaving me feeling much more content and relaxed. He leaned in to kiss the side of my throat, and I wanted more, but he wouldn't touch me whilst I was injured for fear of hurting me. He assured me that I could do whatever I wanted with him once I was better, though. I complained, but relented, admitting that yes, it probably wasn't the best idea.

Slowly I regained my ability to walk as my muscle fixed itself, though I often had to lean on walls and furniture and could only move short distances. Not that I had to with Magnus around, but I was eager to become self-sufficient once more. I didn't enjoy having an injury I couldn't just magic away, and I certainly wouldn't choose for it to happen again, but I had to admit that this experience had left me appreciating just what I had in Magnus. His love and care made what would have been an incredibly frustrating and boring experience actually something I sort of enjoyed. I was immensely grateful to have him, and I knew it was times like this that proved why the two of us would last for all the eternity we had together.


End file.
